Maxine was offered tenancy at Zenith Chambers following successful completion of her Pupillage in September 2015. Since becoming a member of Zenith, Maxine has developed a specialist family practice and now accepts a broad range of instructions across the family law spectrum.
Maxine is regularly instructed on behalf of local authorities, parents and children in the Family Proceedings Court, County Court and Magistrates Court. Furthermore, she undertakes work on low to high value matrimonial finance cases.
Maxine prides herself on her client-centred approach, both with the lay client and the professional client. She always ensures the lay client fully understands the process before a hearing and the outcome following it. She is able to offer a tenacious and dynamic advocacy style, combined with empathy and compassion in order to achieve the best result for her client.
As a hard-working and approachable advocate, Maxine maintains a high-quality service throughout her involvement. Maxine also has experience dealing with litigants in person in a constructive and fair manner.
AREAS OF PRACTICE
REPORTED CASES
Re BH (A Child: Human Rights Act: Injunction) [2017] EWFC 15 - representing the maternal great-aunt seeking to prevent the local authority removing the 2 year old child from her care, notwithstanding the child was the subject of a final care order in favour of the local authority.
NOTABLE CASES
Re: LW, 2018 - Maxine acted as junior Counsel to Clare Garnham for the Local Authority in a 4-week case involving serious allegations of inflicted injury and the death of a child.
Re: K, 2018 - Maxine acted for the Father in care proceedings alleged to have caused physical harm to five children, resulting in one child sustaining a fractured arm. The hearing necessitated a Re W application and the cross-examination of a 15 year old child. Maxine achieved judgment in the Father’s favour for his three biological children to be returned to his care.
Re: M, 2018 - Maxine acted for the Local Authority in both the finding of fact hearing and welfare state of the proceedings. The issues were allegations of inflicted injury to a child by shaking and other non-accidental injury, including rib and wrist fractures allegedly inflicted.
Re: S-F, 2018 - Maxine acted for the Father in a 20+ day fact-finding hearing and subsequent welfare proceedings, facing allegations of physical & emotional harm & neglect. Satellite litigation was regularly interposed throughout the hearing to deal with issues of parental recordings of professionals, breach of exclusion orders, permission to withhold contact between the parents and a child, interim removal application in respect of a 15 year old subject child, contact applications for adult siblings and allegations of dissemination of confidential information to the public.
Re: A, 2017 - Maxine acted for the Mother in a private law application for relocation of the Mother with the child to Scotland. This was opposed by the Father and a finding of fact hearing was conducted. Maxine achieved judgment in favour of the Mother who was granted permission to relocate with the child.
Re: M, 2017 - Maxine acted as junior Counsel to Clare Garnham for the Local Authority in a lengthy case involving serious allegations of child sexual abuse. The case had a particular focus on inadequacies in ABE interviews of children by the police and other professionals.
SEMINARS
Maxine regularly attends and speaks at seminars on matters of both Children Law and Matrimonial Finance.
0113 245 5438
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